The Female Lead Takes Care of Everything - Chapter 99

Everyone was looking at Rima.

Perhaps she could feel their eyes. Sitting alone in silence, she slowly lifted her tear-streaked face.

It was a pitiful sight, enough to stir sympathy in anyone watching.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and her bruised cheek was streaked with salt left behind by her dried tears. Her thin shoulders shook every time she sniffled.

“I just…”

“Just?”

Al, who had walked over to her side, gently echoed her words.

“I just wanted to be close…”

“You wanted to be close?”

“Because I’m the older one, I thought I should…”

Rima fumbled her words, starting and stopping, glancing up at Al as if searching for help.

Their eyes met, and Al gave her a faint, bitter smile.

“Then, as the older one, you should apologize.”

“What…?”

“No matter what happened, Nini is still just a five-year-old girl. And it’s true you said something awful.”

“I didn’t!”

Rima immediately denied it.

Aref’s brow furrowed.

Al kept speaking.

“But Aref heard it. And so did Nini.”

“That was a misunderstanding!”

“A misunderstanding?”

“I mean…”

Rima couldn’t answer. Her eyes darted away.

Then, suddenly, she blurted out something completely unrelated.

“It’s because I’m an orphan…”

Her jaw trembled as if she were about to cry again. Covering her face with both hands, she began to sob, her voice trembling.

“They said I shouldn’t get close to Re■ just because I’m not… I just wanted to be kind, because I’m the older one…”

“Enough.”

A calm but heavy voice cut through her words.

Caleo was now standing in front of Rima, looking down at her with a completely unreadable expression.

The pressure he gave off was overwhelming. Rima slowly lowered her hands.

Caleo’s cold gaze no longer treated her like a child to be protected.

He now regarded her as an enemy of the Deiamor family.

Still, he tried to keep his words restrained.

Not because she was young, but because if he let his emotions slip even a little, he knew something much harsher would come out.

He reminded himself again and again that his own children were watching.

“No matter how ignorant you are, how could you be so disgracefully rude?”

“But I…”

Rima’s voice trembled with fear. She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

The other children were just as shocked.

Caleo had always been warm and kind. Even when busy, he made time for the children. He was the gentle father next door.

Now that same man was radiating a terrifying intensity, enough to make their skin prickle.

Even though they weren’t the ones being scolded, their hearts sank. Some of them were close to tears just from watching.

Even in this moment, Rima insisted on defending herself.

“Everyone’s going to take her side no matter what I say anyway!”

“Rima!”

“You can’t say things like that!”

Al and Rubens tried to stop her, but Rima shouted back, clinging to her own sense of injustice.

“You all treat me like I’m already a criminal! Why are you talking to me like I’m so horrible? I’m only seven! When you talk like that, it feels like I’m—”

“Enough!”

The loud voice rang out like thunder.

Caleo’s voice was sharp and clear, his neck tense with anger. He glared at Rima, eyes burning.

“How dare you behave with such disrespect toward a noble family of high honor?”

“Ah…”

Rima froze in place.

“If you truly saw my daughter as a little sister, you would never have said such cruel things to her.”

“I… I didn’t…”

“You think Aref was the only one who saw it?”

“…!”

Rima’s face turned pale.

“This is the Deiamor household. That means I have people all over this estate who serve as my eyes and ears.”

Caleo let out a long, controlled breath.

“I will be filing a formal complaint with the Duke of De Gladius. Al and Rubens, be sure to inform your father.”

“Yes, Lord Caleo.”

Al replied in a quiet voice.

That night

“…”

Nivellia sat on her bed, quietly fiddling with the wallet Aref had given her as a birthday present. It was shaped like a chocolate cookie.

What had started as a happy birthday had ended on such a sad note.

Rima never apologized, not even once.

In the end, she had been sent away from the house, nearly forced out.

“Nini, I’m really sorry.”

“I’m sorry we couldn’t make your birthday a happy one.”

Even though they had done nothing wrong, Nivellia still had to hear Al and Rubens apologize several more times.

“Nini, if she ever bothers you again, you have to tell me, okay? I’ll protect you. I’m your big sister, after all.”

Leticia was furious, as if the whole thing had happened to her.

Later, the family held a quiet, private birthday gathering just for themselves.

Each person took a moment to hug Nivellia tightly, whispering how much they loved her and how grateful they were that she had been born.

“Young lady.”

At the sound of her name, Nivellia looked up.

Detter, who had just finished tidying the bed, approached with a warm smile.

“Shall we sleep now?”

“Okay.”

Nivellia gave a small nod and climbed up onto the bed without help.

Just a year ago, she would have needed Detter’s assistance to get up, but now she could manage the high mattress on her own.

“Our young lady is already five years old. When did you grow up so quickly?”

“Detter.”

“Yes, young lady?”

“…Never mind.”

Nivellia closed her eyes.

Detter didn’t ask what she had almost said.

“Shall I put your wallet on the nightstand?”

“Yes. But give me the wolf instead.”

Detter handed her the plush wolf toy she loved so much.

“Happy fifth birthday. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you were born.”

“Thank you…”

“Good night, young lady.”

“Good night, Detter…”

Nivellia heard the soft sound of the door closing as Detter left the room.

She opened her eyes. The darkness didn’t bother her; her vision adjusted quickly.

Even though she was tired, she couldn’t fall asleep.

It had been a long day. The morning began with a mass at the temple where they blessed the witches, followed by the birthday banquet.

And then the birthday banquet had fallen apart.

That was scary…

What terrified her most was the unprovoked malice.

It reminded her of her past life, when she had faced the swords of men who killed her for no reason.

Just like those who had hacked away at an innocent cat, Rima had used cruel words to cut down an innocent Nivellia.

“…”

She clutched the wolf plush tightly in her arms.

Knock knock.

Nivellia quickly turned toward the door.

“Nini.”

Muniel peeked through the slightly opened door.

“Grandma!”

“I knew you wouldn’t be asleep yet.”

As Muniel stepped inside, two figures followed behind her. It was Aref and Soles.

“They’ve been so worried about you.”

Muniel sat at the edge of the bed, gently caressing Nivellia’s forehead and cheek.

Nivellia let out a soft whimper and leaned into her grandmother’s arms.

Aref and Soles climbed onto the bed too.

“Young lady…”

“Nini, are you okay?”

“…”

Nivellia wanted to say she was fine. She wanted to be brave and say it didn’t matter.

But what came out instead was a small, childish voice.

“I’m not okay…”

“That’s alright. What happened today wasn’t something you could be okay about.”

Muniel whispered softly, letting Nivellia know it was okay to feel scared and hurt.

Nivellia slowly nodded and began to whimper again. Muniel gently pulled her onto her lap and held her close.

Aref and Soles settled beside them.

“Kids.”

Muniel stroked Nivellia’s back slowly as she spoke.

“What happened today… it may be something you go through again in your life.”

“Why…”

Nivellia rubbed her sleepy eyes as drowsiness finally caught up with her, soothed by the comfort of Muniel’s presence.

Muniel smiled gently, though it carried a hint of sadness.

“Because hating someone is a very easy thing to do.”

She gave them an example from mountain climbing.

“When people face a wall that seems impossible to climb, they usually make one of three choices.”

The first is to take a break and try again later.

The second is to settle in place.

The third choice is pulling down someone who is already higher than you.

“Why would someone do that?”

Aref couldn’t understand it. Nivellia and Soles felt the same.

Why not just climb by your own effort? Why drag down someone who did nothing wrong?

Muniel gave them a quiet answer.

“Because it’s the easiest way.”

“To pull someone else down? But they’re still in the same place, aren’t they?”

“Yes, but now there’s someone beneath them. The one they just dragged down. So, in their eyes, they’re standing higher.”

You’re not allowed to rise above me.

“If I can’t do it, then you shouldn’t be allowed to either. A lot of people think that way, more than you’d believe.”

The children didn’t accept her words right away.

Could there really be people like that?

But when they thought back to what had happened today, Muniel’s words suddenly felt very real.

Soles asked in a low voice.

“Is that what Rima is like?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Muniel looked down at Nivellia, who was fast asleep in her arms.

Her eyes were gently closed, her breathing soft and peaceful. The wolf plush clutched tightly in her arms stood guard over her dreams.

“…”

Aref found himself feeling jealous of that little wolf.

“People who tear others down instead of trying themselves often struggle to admit their own faults.”

“She…”

Aref thought back to the orphanage.

“She used to bully me. She always said there was something wrong with my eyes.”

“She probably used that cruelty to cope with life at the orphanage. But don’t forget, Aref, your eyes are more beautiful than anything.”

“I know that now.”

There was confidence in Aref’s voice. The dark shadow that had once followed him a year ago was gone.

Soles asked,

“Grandma, can we sleep here tonight?”

“You packed your pillows and still felt the need to ask?”

“I just wanted to be sure…”

“Your mother already said yes. You can all stay here tonight.”

Muniel gently laid the sleeping Nivellia in the center of the bed.

Aref and Soles took their places on either side of her. With all three of them curled up on the large bed, it looked warm and full.

“Good night, little ones.”

Muniel kissed each of them on the forehead, then quietly stepped out and closed the door.

“…Soles.”

Aref whispered softly to his brother.

“Al and Rubens… they don’t like Rima.”

“Yeah. I think I finally understand that now.”

Back at the banquet, when Nivellia personally led Al, Rubens, and Rima to the hall…

“Brother. Those two…”

Aref had said it then too.

“Those two don’t actually like her.”